Four of the top seven teams in Class AAAAAA will face ranked opponents from other classifications this week.
Those games include Harrison at North Cobb, Northgate at home against Starr’s Mill, and Lovejoy taking on Stockbridge at Tri-Cities.
The highlight of the weekend, however, is bound to be top-ranked Tucker’s visit on Friday to Colquitt County, the No. 2-ranked team in Class AAAAAAA.
The Tigers will be making the trip south for the second consecutive season with the rare opportunity to win in Moultrie two years in a row. Tucker rallied from a 17-3 deficit to win 21-20 last year. Colquitt County has lost just four games at home since 2011, and three of them came last year during an 0-4 start. The Packers bounced back to finish 8-5, losing to eventual champion Grayson in the state quarterfinals.
For more information on this game and several others involving Class AAAAAA teams, check out Georgia High School Football Daily's preview capsules by clicking here.
Here’s a brief look at some of the other top games on the AAAAAA schedule in Week 3 (all games are Friday unless noted):
*Allatoona at Sandy Creek: Allatoona already has avoided the 0-3 start it suffered through in 2016, beating Alexander 22-12 to improve to 1-1. A victory against Sandy Creek, the No. 4-ranked team in Class AAAA, would send the Buccaneers into region play on a high note, especially important since third-ranked Harrison is their second game in league play. Sandy Creek won 21-17 last season.
*Glynn Academy at Tift County: Glynn Academy has gotten off to an uneven start, opening with a 33-8 loss to Class AA No. 1 Benedictine before beating Ware County 31-7 last week. It's the same 1-1 start the Red Terrors had last year, although both games were more lopsided this time around. Glynn and Tift did not play each other last season, as both played Colorado schools in Week 3.
*Harrison at North Cobb: No. 3 Harrison will try to rebound from its 33-21 loss to AAAAA No. 1 Rome last week by facing the No. 6 team in AAAAAAA. Harrison won 25-13 last year to end a five-game losing streak in the series. The Hoyas will need to take care of the ball this week. North Cobb has gotten four touchdowns and a safety from its defense and special teams during its 2-0 start.
*Lovejoy vs. Stockbridge (Saturday): No. 7 Lovejoy will have its hands full against a Stockbridge defense that gave up just 14.7 points per game last year and opened this season with a 9-0 victory over Mays. QB Jordan Huntington and RB Zion Custis will be the keys, as they have been during the Wildcats' 2-0 start (1-0 in region play). Stockbridge is ranked No. 3 in AAAAA.
*Star's Mill at Northgate: Northgate's 21-3 victory over Veterans on Aug. 19 was a successful debut for new coach Kelsey Dalrymple, who was promoted to replace the retiring Tommy Walburn. The sixth-ranked Vikings have made a bit of resurgence in the past two seasons, winning 21 games, including last year's 34-17 victory over Starr's Mill. The Panthers (1-0) are No. 9 in AAAAA.
